The Philippines generated quite a number top-tier athletes in EJ Obiena, Carlos Yulo, Hidilyn Diaz, and Margielyn Didal. But who would be next? Obiena pointed the key, and it was the same with Didal's appeal years ago.
Pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who slipped to number four in the World Athletics rankings, made history by becoming the first and only Asian so far to clear a height of six meters.
But he wants more to join that club.
As Obiena takes a break from pole vaulting to recuperate from injuries, he shifted his focus on developing the next generation of vaulters.
[ALSO READ: 'I’ll be back': World no. 3 EJ Obiena announces break from pole vault competitions due to back injury]
And that's precisely what he started with his meet and greet session in the Philippines.
"To build a next generation of world class vaulters, all we need is talent, dedication, and FACILITIES. We have talent and we have dedication. We just lack enough facilities," Obiena pointed out in his Facebook post.
"Well, we raised enough for not one, not two, but THREE new facilities! It’s incredible. And it’s just a start of my '6 meter initiative'. To make sure I am only the first in a long line of Filipino 6 meter vaulters!!!"
Obiena's own dream started with his father, who was a pole vaulter himself.
"He took up the sport because Rizal Memorial had a pole vault pit, the only one in the entire National Capital Region in the early 90s," EJ wrote in a social media post. "If there was no pit he would've been a hurdler and never knew that his passion was in jumping and not in running."
"I would probably be the same if not for that solitary pole vault pit that changed my life and gave me the opportunity to represent the Philippines in the world stage."
Obiena not alone in generating interest and developing grassroots for his sport.
When Margielyn Didal became a gold medalist in skateboarding's debut at the Asian Games in 2018--her first reaction was not for herself.
"Change the game!" she said, teary eyed, after confirming her gold medal win. "Put more skate parks, please!"
Her call was heeded, with skate parks eventually built in Manila.
There's one in Cainta.
The Cebu-based Didal would also surely be happy to see a skate park in Danao.
Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines' first-ever Olympic gold medalist, is also developing the next generation of weightlifters.
And that's by building the HD Weightlifting Academy in Jala-jala, Rizal.
It only takes a voice to spark an interest. Who knows, maybe the next six-meter pole vaulter, the next skateboarding gold medalist, and maybe the next world record-breaking weightlifter will start from these programs.